Lesson Plan

Healing Hearts Lesson Plan

Guide a 4th-grade student to identify and articulate grief emotions, practice healthy coping strategies, and create a personalized grief-support plan in a 30-minute individual session.

Individualized grief support helps students process loss safely, build emotional resilience, and develop practical coping tools for healthier adjustment and well-being.

Audience

Time

Approach

Materials

Prep

Session Preparation

5 minutes

Step 1

Build Rapport & Set Purpose

5 minutes

Step 2

Identify & Label Emotions

7 minutes

Step 3

Express Through Journaling

8 minutes

Step 4

Explore Coping Strategies

7 minutes

Step 5

Create a Grief-Support Plan

3 minutes

Slide Deck

Healing Hearts

Welcome the student and set a warm, supportive tone. Explain that today’s session will help them understand and cope with feelings of grief.

Today’s Goals

Briefly review the objectives so the student knows what to expect and why each part matters.

Session Outline

Outline the flow of activities to build structure and comfort.

Identify & Label Emotions

Guide the student in using the Emotions Chart to pinpoint how they’re feeling. Normalize all grief emotions.

Express Through Journaling

Encourage free expression—there are no right or wrong answers. Offer prompts if they seem stuck.

Explore Coping Strategies

Explain each coping idea and let the student choose strategies they feel comfortable trying.

Create Your Grief-Support Plan

Help the student turn their choices into a simple plan they can follow.

You’re Not Alone

End on a positive, reassuring note. Reinforce that support is always available.

Lesson Plan

Healing Hearts Lesson Plan

Audience

Time

Approach

Materials

Prep

Session Preparation

Step 1

Build Rapport & Set Purpose

Step 2

Identify & Label Emotions

Step 3

Express Through Journaling

Step 4

Explore Coping Strategies

Step 5

Create a Grief-Support Plan

Slide Deck

Healing Hearts

Today’s Goals

Session Outline

Identify & Label Emotions

Express Through Journaling

Explore Coping Strategies

Create Your Grief-Support Plan

You’re Not Alone

Worksheet

Activity

Warm Up

Cool Down

Reading

Script

Rubric

Healing Hearts

Alyssha Walker